Are you a member of the Swedish church and received a voting card last week? If so, you have been granted the right to vote in the upcoming Swedish church election (no matter if you have already thrown away your card or not).

Sweden has long been known as one of the most secular countries on earth. While 95% of the Swedish population was members of the Swedish church in the 70s, the number has plummeted to only 51% in 2024. However, the Swedish church, with its 5,4 million members, still remains the biggest religious community in the country, and though the separation of church and state was de jure finalized year 2000, the church and the Swedish political landscape remains heavily intertwined. 

By Swedish law, the Swedish church is democratically ruled, giving all members the right to vote for what way they want the church to fulfill its responsibilities. Although the similarities between the church and governmental elections are many, some differences remain: The voting age is 16 instead of 18, and although multiple political parties also participate in the swedish church elections, they are now called “nomination groups” instead of “political parties”. There are also church specific “nomination groups”, not recognised from the national political scene. 

Like the government elections, the church election takes place every four years. In 2021, the voter turnout ended up at 18,4%, the second highest since the 1930s (the highest being in 2017: 19,1%). Although the church has been stripped of much of its legal power, its soft and political power remains high, with its 5,4 million members all paying around 1% of their annual income in church tax, 20% of all swedish youth in grade 8 doing their confirmation, and the total costs of the church’s operations amounting to 27 billion Swedish crowns in 2024.

While the church’s influence also differs greatly between different areas in Sweden, it has historically been an important breeding ground for up and coming political parties, as well as crucial for the church’s development. The Swedish church remains one of the most liberal ones in the world, in big part because of what groups have been leading it here. But, so has not always been the case. Traditionally important debates, with most of them still ongoing today, have been centered around female priests and gay marriage. Both political questions, intertwined with religion. Today, christianity’s ties with “Swedish culture”, right-wing politics and immigration have become increasingly important questions in the church election. The Swedish church is also the fifth biggest owner of Swedish forest, which has led to sustainable forestry becoming an important part of church politics.

As in normal elections, you vote in three different elections on the same day: kyrkofullmäktige, which rules your local congregation (“församling”), stiftsfullmäktige, which rules your local diocese, and lastly the election for kyrkomötet, the Swedish church’s highest decision-making body and, among other things, responsible for the church regulations and decisions that will affect the church as a whole. In the 2021 election, the three biggest nomination groups in Lund diocese were Socialdemokraterna (S), Politiskt obundna i Svenska kyrkan (POSK), and Sverigedemokraterna. In the congregation, the three biggest parties instead consisted of POSK, S and Vänstern i Svenska kyrkan. 

So, how do I vote?

The church election 2025 takes place on the 21st of September, with early voting being possible from the 9th to the 21st. Regular voting can only be done at the polling station given to you on your voting card, while early voting can be done at any early voting station. Lund city has multiple polling stations for early voting, with domkyrkoforum being the most central one.

Important to note is that you “belong” to the address you lived at before the 15th of August 2025. This means that if you moved to Lund after the 15th of August, your vote counts towards the congregation and diocese you were previously part of. This also means that your polling station will not be in Lund, but rather at your old address. If this is the case, you can still vote early (“förtidsrösta”) at any polling station in Lund, and your vote will be approved. 

The biggest difference between voting and voting early is that you must bring your voting card (received by mail) for early voting, while it’s not mandatory for regular voting, and that early voting can be done at any polling station, and regular voting only at the polling station you have been given on your voting card. If you have already thrown away your voting card, you are still eligible to vote! You can either print out a new voting card through the Swedish church’s website, or vote regularly at your assigned polling station (can be found online) on the 21st of September.
To read more about what nomination groups are participating in this year’s election and your closest polling stations, see svenskakyrkan.se.